NSF Middleware Initiative: Managing Identity on Campus

NSF Middleware Initiative: Managing Identity on Campus

Michael R Gettes, Duke University

Tom Barton, University of Chicago

Observations on:Identity & Access

Management, Middleware & Security in U.S. Higher

EducationMichael R GettesDuke University

gettes@Duke.EDU

We recognize there exists a larger world...

Identity & Access Management?

#1 Issue in Higher Education - 2005/2006 EDUCAUSE IT Survey.

Less than 10 years old - some HE schools doing it much longer.

IAM is defined by many components as follows ...

IAM Componentsa.k.a. “middleware” (1)

Systems of Record (HR, SIS, Alumni, Telecom, Affiliates)

Information Switch (Vendor/build) Entity registry (Vendor/build) Identity business rule handling

(Vendor/build)

IAM Componentsa.k.a. “middleware” (2)

Authentication (Password, PKI, Kerberos (ECAR Survey - K5

everywhere), ...)

Privilege Mgmt (Authority/Authorization) (Signet, HR system, ...)

Group Mgmt (Vendor, Grouper, Build)

Directories - fast repositories (Vendor, Open Source)

IAM Componentsa.k.a. “middleware” (3)

Service Provisioning Vendor, Built, Nexus

Message Mgmt - real-time and queuing Vendor, Built or Jabber/XMPP

IAM Componentsa.k.a. “middleware” (4)

Attribute Delivery PKI, SAML/Shibboleth, Directory, Vendor,

(Various)

Authorization, Act of (by Application) Policy Decision Point (PDP) Policy Enforcement Point (PEP)

Age of this Technology Technology is young. Lots of options - much more than just 5 years

ago. If you buy - you will still need to build your own

Identity Business Rules. Buy *and* Build decision.

NSF/Internet2 Middleware - these “solutions” are simply options. If you believe in Open Source - they are good. If not, then use these solutions to drive vendors for what you want. Remain aware of trends.

Institutional Issues

STAY OFF THE FRONT PAGE OF NATIONAL NEWS!!!

IAM is part of any “good” security program. Each institution having IAM leads to better

National Security - or at least the perception of it.

IAM leads to Access Control via Authority Management, Authorization and timeliness

Institutional Issues (2) Nobody cares about implementing IAM.

Need to define it in terms of Infrastructure to deliver a set of Services/Goals. Duke - Goal is 1 hour to get ID Card and

NetID services for new employee and 1 hour for status changes to take effect (job changes).

Buy-in from VPs, EVP, Provost, etc...

Institutional Issues (3) Consider rolling affiliates (non-

student/fac-staff/alumni) into HR system - many contracts based on FTE (=paid person). You might get affiliate management for free.

How do ID Proofing processes (identity registration) need to change for students and staff to enhance Business services?

Institutional Issues (4)

How do we validate our processes? Is my institution doing a good job on IdM? CAF - Credential Assessment Framework

How do we know if other institutions are doing a good job? Federations! Like-minded organizations

seeking like-minded services.

Institutional Identity

BRANDING of the institution via E-Identity

my.harvard, stanford.you, CNetID (Chicago)

How easy is institutional initiation?

How easy to change function at institution?

Uniting the institution electronically -

overcoming typical political boundaries

Levels of Assurance (LoA)? Classify the requirements of an application Assign confidence levels for the ID Proofing

and Electronic Authentication Processes Define mapping between Reqs and

Confidence As simple as a number (Levels 1,2,3,4). Define confidence in terms of application

requirements and you can use the same value for both.

Federation?

A collection of organizations, having implemented some form of Identity Management, where Credential Service Providers (CSP, Universities) and Service Providers (SP, Content Providers) agree to “rules of engagement” (policy and attributes) using federating software (SAML/Shibboleth, PKI, CardSpace ...)

Higher Ed Activity... InCommon - SAML based Federation

Inter-Federations - Can they work? USHER - US Higher Education Root - PKI

HEBCA - Bridged PKI similar to USGov

Federal eAuth involvement (www.cio.gov) Research community seeking Id Mgmt

NSF CyberInfrastructure Shy away from Biometrics - What if you lose

your E-thumb? National ID vs. Federated ID - NOT RFID!

Your mileage ... will vary